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Walter NG. Are non-protein coding RNAs junk or treasure?: An attempt to explain and reconcile opposing viewpoints of whether the human genome is mostly transcribed into non-functional or functional RNAs. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300201. [PMID: 38351661 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The human genome project's lasting legacies are the emerging insights into human physiology and disease, and the ascendance of biology as the dominant science of the 21st century. Sequencing revealed that >90% of the human genome is not coding for proteins, as originally thought, but rather is overwhelmingly transcribed into non-protein coding, or non-coding, RNAs (ncRNAs). This discovery initially led to the hypothesis that most genomic DNA is "junk", a term still championed by some geneticists and evolutionary biologists. In contrast, molecular biologists and biochemists studying the vast number of transcripts produced from most of this genome "junk" often surmise that these ncRNAs have biological significance. What gives? This essay contrasts the two opposing, extant viewpoints, aiming to explain their bases, which arise from distinct reference frames of the underlying scientific disciplines. Finally, it aims to reconcile these divergent mindsets in hopes of stimulating synergy between scientific fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils G Walter
- Center for RNA Biomedicine, Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Hou Y, Li Y, Xiang JF, Tilahun K, Jiang J, Corces VG, Yao B. TDP-43 chronic deficiency leads to dysregulation of transposable elements and gene expression by affecting R-loop and 5hmC crosstalk. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113662. [PMID: 38184854 PMCID: PMC10857847 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
TDP-43 is an RNA/DNA-binding protein that forms aggregates in various brain disorders. TDP-43 engages in many aspects of RNA metabolism, but its molecular roles in regulating genes and transposable elements (TEs) have not been extensively explored. Chronic TDP-43 knockdown impairs cell proliferation and cellular responses to DNA damage. At the molecular level, TDP-43 chronic deficiency affects gene expression either locally or distally by concomitantly altering the crosstalk between R-loops and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in gene bodies and long-range enhancer/promoter interactions. Furthermore, TDP-43 knockdown induces substantial disease-relevant TE activation by influencing their R-loop and 5hmC homeostasis in a locus-specific manner. Together, our findings highlight the genomic roles of TDP-43 in modulating R-loop-5hmC coordination in coding genes, distal regulatory elements, and TEs, presenting a general and broad molecular mechanism underlying the contributions of proteinopathies to the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingzi Hou
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yangping Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jian-Feng Xiang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kedamawit Tilahun
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Bing Yao
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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3
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Owen DM, Kwon M, Huang X, Nagari A, Nandu T, Kraus WL. Genome-wide identification of transcriptional enhancers during human placental development and association with function, differentiation, and disease†. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:965-981. [PMID: 37694817 PMCID: PMC10724456 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a dynamic organ that must perform a remarkable variety of functions during its relatively short existence in order to support a developing fetus. These functions include nutrient delivery, gas exchange, waste removal, hormone production, and immune barrier protection. Proper placenta development and function are critical for healthy pregnancy outcomes, but the underlying genomic regulatory events that control this process remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that mapping sites of transcriptional enhancer activity and associated changes in gene expression across gestation in human placenta tissue would identify genomic loci and predicted transcription factor activity related to critical placenta functions. We used a suite of genomic assays [i.e., RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), Precision run-on-sequencing (PRO-seq), and Chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq)] and computational pipelines to identify a set of >20 000 enhancers that are active at various time points in gestation. Changes in the activity of these enhancers correlate with changes in gene expression. In addition, some of these enhancers encode risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. We further show that integrating enhancer activity, transcription factor motif analysis, and transcription factor expression can identify distinct sets of transcription factors predicted to be more active either in early pregnancy or at term. Knockdown of selected identified transcription factors in a trophoblast stem cell culture model altered the expression of key placental marker genes. These observations provide a framework for future mechanistic studies of individual enhancer-transcription factor-target gene interactions and have the potential to inform genetic risk prediction for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Owen
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Minjung Kwon
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Xuan Huang
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anusha Nagari
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tulip Nandu
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - W Lee Kraus
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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Kim J, Diaz LF, Miller MJ, Leadem B, Krivega I, Dean A. An enhancer RNA recruits MLL1 to regulate transcription of Myb. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.26.559528. [PMID: 37808852 PMCID: PMC10557664 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.26.559528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The Myb proto-oncogene encodes the transcription factor c-MYB, which is critical for hematopoiesis. Distant enhancers of Myb form a hub of interactions with the Myb promoter. We identified a long non-coding RNA (Myrlin) originating from the -81 kb murine Myb enhancer. Myrlin and Myb are coordinately regulated during erythroid differentiation. Myrlin TSS deletion using CRISPR/Cas9 reduced Myrlin and Myb expression and LDB1 complex occupancy at the Myb enhancers, compromising enhancer contacts and reducing RNA Pol II occupancy in the locus. In contrast, CRISPRi silencing of Myrlin left LDB1 and the Myb enhancer hub unperturbed, although Myrlin and Myb expression were downregulated, decoupling transcription and chromatin looping. Myrlin interacts with the MLL1 complex. Myrlin CRISPRi compromised MLL1 occupancy in the Myb locus, decreasing CDK9 and RNA Pol II binding and resulting in Pol II pausing in the Myb first exon/intron. Thus, Myrlin directly participates in activating Myb transcription by recruiting MLL1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyun Kim
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Luis F. Diaz
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Matthew J. Miller
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Benjamin Leadem
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- GeneDx, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
| | - Ivan Krivega
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Sonothera, South San Francisco, CA 94080
| | - Ann Dean
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Miao B, Xing X, Bazylianska V, Madden P, Moszczynska A, Zhang B. Methamphetamine-induced region-specific transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in the brain of male rats. Commun Biol 2023; 6:991. [PMID: 37758941 PMCID: PMC10533900 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05355-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulant methamphetamine (METH) is neurotoxic to the brain and, therefore, its misuse leads to neurological and psychiatric disorders. The gene regulatory network (GRN) response to neurotoxic METH binge remains unclear in most brain regions. Here we examined the effects of binge METH on the GRN in the nucleus accumbens, dentate gyrus, Ammon's horn, and subventricular zone in male rats. At 24 h after METH, ~16% of genes displayed altered expression and over a quarter of previously open chromatin regions - parts of the genome where genes are typically active - showed shifts in their accessibility. Intriguingly, most changes were unique to each area studied, and independent regulation between transcriptome and chromatin accessibility was observed. Unexpectedly, METH differentially impacted gene activity and chromatin accessibility within the dentate gyrus and Ammon's horn. Around 70% of the affected chromatin-accessible regions in the rat brain have conserved DNA sequences in the human genome. These regions frequently act as enhancers, ramping up the activity of nearby genes, and contain mutations linked to various neurological conditions. By sketching out the gene regulatory networks associated with binge METH in specific brain regions, our study offers fresh insights into how METH can trigger profound, region-specific molecular shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benpeng Miao
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Xing
- Department of Genetics, Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Viktoriia Bazylianska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Pamela Madden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Anna Moszczynska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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6
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Liang MZ, Lu TH, Chen L. Timely expression of PGAM5 and its cleavage control mitochondrial homeostasis during neurite re-growth after traumatic brain injury. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:96. [PMID: 37221611 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01052-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients suffered from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have twice the risk of developing into neurodegenerative diseases later in their life. Thus, early intervention is needed not only to treat TBI but also to reduce neurodegenerative diseases in the future. Physiological functions of neurons highly depend on mitochondria. Thus, when mitochondrial integrity is compromised by injury, neurons would initiate a cascade of events to maintain homeostasis of mitochondria. However, what protein senses mitochondrial dysfunction and how mitochondrial homeostasis is maintained during regeneration remains unclear. RESULTS We found that TBI-increased transcription of a mitochondrial protein, phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5), during acute phase was via topological remodeling of a novel enhancer-promoter interaction. This up-regulated PGAM5 correlated with mitophagy, whereas presenilins-associated rhomboid-like protein (PARL)-dependent PGAM5 cleavage at a later stage of TBI enhanced mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) expression and mitochondrial mass. To test whether PGAM5 cleavage and TFAM expression were sufficient for functional recovery, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) was used to uncouple electron transport chain and reduce mitochondrial function. As a result, FCCP triggered PGAM5 cleavage, TFAM expression and recovery of motor function deficits of CCI mice. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study implicate that PGAM5 may act as a mitochondrial sensor for brain injury to activate its own transcription at acute phase, serving to remove damaged mitochondria through mitophagy. Subsequently, PGAM5 is cleaved by PARL, and TFAM expression is increased for mitochondrial biogenesis at a later stage after TBI. Taken together, this study concludes that timely regulation of PGAM5 expression and its own cleavage are required for neurite re-growth and functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Zong Liang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Hsuan Lu
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Linyi Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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7
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Uthaya Kumar DB, Yurieva M, Grassmann J, Kozhaya L, McBride CD, Unutmaz D, Williams A. A genome-wide CRISPR activation screen identifies SCREEM a novel SNAI1 super-enhancer demarcated by eRNAs. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1110445. [PMID: 36923642 PMCID: PMC10009272 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1110445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome is pervasively transcribed to produce a vast array of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts of >200 nucleotides and are best known for their ability to regulate gene expression. Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are subclass of lncRNAs that are synthesized from enhancer regions and have also been shown to coordinate gene expression. The biological function and significance of most lncRNAs and eRNAs remain to be determined. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a ubiquitous cellular process that occurs during cellular migration, homeostasis, fibrosis, and cancer-cell metastasis. EMT-transcription factors, such as SNAI1 induce a complex transcriptional program that coordinates the morphological and molecular changes associated with EMT. Such complex transcriptional programs are often subject to coordination by networks of ncRNAs and thus can be leveraged to identify novel functional ncRNA loci. Here, using a genome-wide CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) screen targeting ∼10,000 lncRNA loci we identified ncRNA loci that could either promote or attenuate EMT. We discovered a novel locus that we named SCREEM (SNAI1 cis-regulatory eRNAs expressed in monocytes). The SCREEM locus contained a cluster of eRNAs that when activated using CRISPRa induced expression of the neighboring gene SNAI1, driving concomitant EMT. However, the SCREEM eRNA transcripts themselves appeared dispensable for the induction of SNAI1 expression. Interestingly, the SCREEM eRNAs and SNAI1 were co-expressed in activated monocytes, where the SCREEM locus demarcated a monocyte-specific super-enhancer. These findings suggest a potential role for SNAI1 in monocytes. Exploration of the SCREEM-SNAI axis could reveal novel aspects of monocyte biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Babu Uthaya Kumar
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- The Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Marina Yurieva
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Jessica Grassmann
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Lina Kozhaya
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Caleb Dante McBride
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Derya Unutmaz
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Adam Williams
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- The Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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8
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Enhancer-promoter entanglement explains their transcriptional interdependence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216436120. [PMID: 36656865 PMCID: PMC9942820 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216436120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancers not only activate target promoters to stimulate messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis, but they themselves also undergo transcription to produce enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), the significance of which is not well understood. Transcription at the participating enhancer-promoter pair appears coordinated, but it is unclear why and how. Here, we employ cell-free transcription assays using constructs derived from the human GREB1 locus to demonstrate that transcription at an enhancer and its target promoter is interdependent. This interdependence is observable under conditions where direct enhancer-promoter contact (EPC) takes place. We demonstrate that transcription activation at a participating enhancer-promoter pair is dependent on i) the mutual availability of the enhancer and promoter, ii) the state of transcription at both the enhancer and promoter, iii) local abundance of both eRNA and mRNA, and iv) direct EPC. Our results suggest transcriptional interdependence between the enhancer and the promoter as the basis of their transcriptional concurrence and coordination throughout the genome. We propose a model where transcriptional concurrence, coordination and interdependence are possible if the participating enhancer and promoter are entangled in the form of EPC, reside in a proteinaceous bubble, and utilize shared transcriptional resources and regulatory inputs.
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9
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Edginton-White B, Maytum A, Kellaway SG, Goode DK, Keane P, Pagnuco I, Assi SA, Ames L, Clarke M, Cockerill PN, Göttgens B, Cazier JB, Bonifer C. A genome-wide relay of signalling-responsive enhancers drives hematopoietic specification. Nat Commun 2023; 14:267. [PMID: 36650172 PMCID: PMC9845378 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35910-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental control of gene expression critically depends on distal cis-regulatory elements including enhancers which interact with promoters to activate gene expression. To date no global experiments have been conducted that identify their cell type and cell stage-specific activity within one developmental pathway and in a chromatin context. Here, we describe a high-throughput method that identifies thousands of differentially active cis-elements able to stimulate a minimal promoter at five stages of hematopoietic progenitor development from embryonic stem (ES) cells, which can be adapted to any ES cell derived cell type. We show that blood cell-specific gene expression is controlled by the concerted action of thousands of differentiation stage-specific sets of cis-elements which respond to cytokine signals terminating at signalling responsive transcription factors. Our work provides an important resource for studies of hematopoietic specification and highlights the mechanisms of how and where extrinsic signals program a cell type-specific chromatin landscape driving hematopoietic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Edginton-White
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK.
| | - A Maytum
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - S G Kellaway
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - D K Goode
- Department of Haematology, Wellcome and Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - P Keane
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - I Pagnuco
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Computational Biology, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - S A Assi
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - L Ames
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - M Clarke
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - P N Cockerill
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - B Göttgens
- Department of Haematology, Wellcome and Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - J B Cazier
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Computational Biology, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - C Bonifer
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, B152TT, Birmingham, UK.
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10
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López C, Burkhardt B, Chan JKC, Leoncini L, Mbulaiteye SM, Ogwang MD, Orem J, Rochford R, Roschewski M, Siebert R. Burkitt lymphoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2022; 8:78. [PMID: 36522349 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-022-00404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive form of B cell lymphoma that can affect children and adults. The study of BL led to the identification of the first recurrent chromosomal aberration in lymphoma, t(8;14)(q24;q32), and subsequent discovery of the central role of MYC and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in tumorigenesis. Most patients with BL are cured with chemotherapy but those with relapsed or refractory disease usually die of lymphoma. Historically, endemic BL, non-endemic sporadic BL and the immunodeficiency-associated BL have been recognized, but differentiation of these epidemiological variants is confounded by the frequency of EBV positivity. Subtyping into EBV+ and EBV- BL might better describe the biological heterogeneity of the disease. Phenotypically resembling germinal centre B cells, all types of BL are characterized by dysregulation of MYC due to enhancer activation via juxtaposition with one of the three immunoglobulin loci. Additional molecular changes commonly affect B cell receptor and sphingosine-1-phosphate signalling, proliferation, survival and SWI-SNF chromatin remodelling. BL is diagnosed on the basis of morphology and high expression of MYC. BL can be effectively treated in children and adolescents with short durations of high dose-intensity multiagent chemotherapy regimens. Adults are more susceptible to toxic effects but are effectively treated with chemotherapy, including modified versions of paediatric regimens. The outcomes in patients with BL are good in high-income countries with low mortality and few late effects, but in low-income and middle-income countries, BL is diagnosed late and is usually treated with less-effective regimens affecting the overall good outcomes in patients with this lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina López
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Birgit Burkhardt
- Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (NHL-BFM) Study Center and Paediatric Hematology, Oncology and BMT, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - John K C Chan
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lorenzo Leoncini
- Section of Pathology, Department of Medical Biotechnology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Sam M Mbulaiteye
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Rosemary Rochford
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mark Roschewski
- Lymphoid Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
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11
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Diacou R, Nandigrami P, Fiser A, Liu W, Ashery-Padan R, Cvekl A. Cell fate decisions, transcription factors and signaling during early retinal development. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 91:101093. [PMID: 35817658 PMCID: PMC9669153 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate eyes is a complex process starting from anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral patterning of the anterior neural tube, resulting in the formation of the eye field. Symmetrical separation of the eye field at the anterior neural plate is followed by two symmetrical evaginations to generate a pair of optic vesicles. Next, reciprocal invagination of the optic vesicles with surface ectoderm-derived lens placodes generates double-layered optic cups. The inner and outer layers of the optic cups develop into the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), respectively. In vitro produced retinal tissues, called retinal organoids, are formed from human pluripotent stem cells, mimicking major steps of retinal differentiation in vivo. This review article summarizes recent progress in our understanding of early eye development, focusing on the formation the eye field, optic vesicles, and early optic cups. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies are integrated with classical in vivo genetic and functional studies to uncover a range of cellular mechanisms underlying early eye development. The functions of signal transduction pathways and lineage-specific DNA-binding transcription factors are dissected to explain cell-specific regulatory mechanisms underlying cell fate determination during early eye development. The functions of homeodomain (HD) transcription factors Otx2, Pax6, Lhx2, Six3 and Six6, which are required for early eye development, are discussed in detail. Comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of early eye development provides insight into the molecular and cellular basis of developmental ocular anomalies, such as optic cup coloboma. Lastly, modeling human development and inherited retinal diseases using stem cell-derived retinal organoids generates opportunities to discover novel therapies for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raven Diacou
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Prithviraj Nandigrami
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Andras Fiser
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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12
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Nair SJ, Suter T, Wang S, Yang L, Yang F, Rosenfeld MG. Transcriptional enhancers at 40: evolution of a viral DNA element to nuclear architectural structures. Trends Genet 2022; 38:1019-1047. [PMID: 35811173 PMCID: PMC9474616 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation by transcriptional enhancers is the dominant mechanism driving cell type- and signal-specific transcriptional diversity in metazoans. However, over four decades since the original discovery, how enhancers operate in the nuclear space remains largely enigmatic. Recent multidisciplinary efforts combining real-time imaging, genome sequencing, and biophysical strategies provide insightful but conflicting models of enhancer-mediated gene control. Here, we review the discovery and progress in enhancer biology, emphasizing the recent findings that acutely activated enhancers assemble regulatory machinery as mesoscale architectural structures with distinct physical properties. These findings help formulate novel models that explain several mysterious features of the assembly of transcriptional enhancers and the mechanisms of spatial control of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreejith J Nair
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
| | - Tom Suter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Susan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lu Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Feng Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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13
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Dong P, Hoffman GE, Apontes P, Bendl J, Rahman S, Fernando MB, Zeng B, Vicari JM, Zhang W, Girdhar K, Townsley KG, Misir R, Brennand KJ, Haroutunian V, Voloudakis G, Fullard JF, Roussos P. Population-level variation in enhancer expression identifies disease mechanisms in the human brain. Nat Genet 2022; 54:1493-1503. [PMID: 36163279 PMCID: PMC9547946 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01170-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Identification of risk variants for neuropsychiatric diseases within enhancers underscores the importance of understanding population-level variation in enhancer function in the human brain. Besides regulating tissue-specific and cell-type-specific transcription of target genes, enhancers themselves can be transcribed. By jointly analyzing large-scale cell-type-specific transcriptome and regulome data, we cataloged 30,795 neuronal and 23,265 non-neuronal candidate transcribed enhancers. Examination of the transcriptome in 1,382 brain samples identified robust expression of transcribed enhancers. We explored gene-enhancer coordination and found that enhancer-linked genes are strongly implicated in neuropsychiatric disease. We identified expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for both genes and enhancers and found that enhancer eQTLs mediate a substantial fraction of neuropsychiatric trait heritability. Inclusion of enhancer eQTLs in transcriptome-wide association studies enhanced functional interpretation of disease loci. Overall, our study characterizes the gene-enhancer regulome and genetic mechanisms in the human cortex in both healthy and diseased states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Dong
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriel E Hoffman
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pasha Apontes
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jaroslav Bendl
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samir Rahman
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael B Fernando
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Biao Zeng
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James M Vicari
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kiran Girdhar
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kayla G Townsley
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ruth Misir
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Vahram Haroutunian
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Georgios Voloudakis
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Fullard
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Panos Roussos
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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14
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Changizian M, Nourisanami F, Hajpoor V, Parvaresh M, Bahri Z, Motovali-Bashi M. LINC00467: A key oncogenic long non-coding RNA. Clin Chim Acta 2022; 536:112-125. [PMID: 36122666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2022.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development and progression of human cancers has attracted increasing attention in recent years of investigations. Having versatile interactions and diverse functions, lncRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumor-suppressors to actively regulate cell proliferation, survival, stemness, drug resistance, invasion and metastasis. LINC00467, an oncogenic member of long intergenic non-coding RNAs, is upregulated in numerous malignancies and its high expression is often related to poor clinicopathological features. LINC00467 facilitates the progression of cancer via sponging tumor-suppressive microRNAs, inhibiting cell death cascade, modulating cell cycle controllers, and regulating signalling pathways including AKT, STAT3, NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin. A growing number of studies have revealed that LINC00467 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and its inhibitory targeting has a valuable therapeutic potential to suppress the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells. In the present review, we discuss the importance of LINC00467 and provide a comprehensive collection of its functions and molecular mechanisms in a variety of cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Changizian
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, HezarJarib Street, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Farahdokht Nourisanami
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Vida Hajpoor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Shahrak-e Pajoohesh, km 15, Tehran - Karaj Highway, Tehran 14965/161, Iran
| | - Maryam Parvaresh
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, HezarJarib Street, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Zahra Bahri
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, HezarJarib Street, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Majid Motovali-Bashi
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, HezarJarib Street, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran.
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15
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Xu Z, Xu C, Wang Q, Ma S, Li Y, Liu S, Peng S, Tan J, Zhao X, Han D, Zhang K, Yang L. An enhancer RNA-based risk model for prediction of bladder cancer prognosis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:979542. [PMID: 36186809 PMCID: PMC9515318 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.979542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundBladder cancer patients have a high recurrence and poor survival rates worldwide. Early diagnosis and intervention are the cornerstones for favorable prognosis. However, commonly used predictive tools cannot meet clinical needs because of their insufficient accuracy.MethodsWe have developed an enhancer RNA (eRNA)-based signature to improve the prediction for bladder cancer prognosis. First, we analyzed differentially expressed eRNAs in gene expression profiles and clinical data for bladder cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Then, we constructed a risk model for prognosis of bladder cancer patients, and analyzed the correlation between this model and tumor microenvironment (TME). Finally, regulatory network of downstream genes of eRNA in the model was constructed by WGCNA and enrichment analysis, then Real-time quantitative PCR verified the differentiation of related genes between tumor and adjacent tissue.ResultsWe first constructed a risk model composed of eight eRNAs, and found the risk model could be an independent risk factor to predict the prognosis of bladder cancer. Then, the log-rank test and time-dependent ROC curve analysis shown the model has a favorable ability to predict prognosis. The eight risk eRNAs may participate in disease progression by regulating cell adhesion and invasion, and up-regulating immune checkpoints to suppress the immunity in TME. mRNA level change in related genes further validated regulatory roles of eRNAs in bladder cancer. In summary, we constructed an eRNA-based risk model and confirmed that the model could predict the prognosis of bladder cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Xu
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Chao Xu
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qionghan Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shanjin Ma
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shaojie Liu
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shiyuan Peng
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jidong Tan
- 96607 Army Hospital of People’s Liberation Army, Baoji, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhao
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Donghui Han
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Donghui Han,
| | - Keying Zhang
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Keying Zhang,
| | - Lijun Yang
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Lijun Yang,
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16
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Bu X, Liu S, Wen D, Kan A, Xu Y, Lin X, Shi M. Comprehensive characterization of enhancer RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma reveals three immune subtypes with implications for immunotherapy. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2022; 26:226-244. [PMID: 35919459 PMCID: PMC9310078 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly heterogeneous. Molecular subtyping for guiding immunotherapy is warranted. Previous studies have indicated that enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are involved in tumor heterogeneity and immune infiltration. However, the eRNA landscape and its correlation with immune infiltration in HCC remain unknown. Here we first revealed the genome-wide eRNA landscape in two HCC cohorts. Then we divided individuals with HCC into three immune-related clusters (C1, C2, and C3) based on eRNA expression profiles. The prognosis, biological properties, immune infiltration, clinical features, genomic features, and drug response were analyzed. C1 was enriched in immune infiltration and potentially sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). C2 displayed features of immune depletion, high proliferation activity, malignant clinical features, and the worst prognosis. C2 may benefit from targeted therapy. C3 presented moderate immune infiltration, metabolism-related signatures, and the best prognosis. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) may be effective for C3. Finally, we constructed a 51-eRNA classifier for subtype prediction and validated its efficacy in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort and Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) cohort. Our results provide a novel method for immune classification of HCC, shed new light on tumor heterogeneity, and may aid in HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Bu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongsheng Wen
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anna Kan
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yujie Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuanjia Lin
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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17
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de Hoon M, Bonetti A, Plessy C, Ando Y, Hon CC, Ishizu Y, Itoh M, Kato S, Lin D, Maekawa S, Murata M, Nishiyori H, Shin JW, Stolte J, Suzuki AM, Tagami M, Takahashi H, Thongjuea S, Forrest ARR, Hayashizaki Y, Kere J, Carninci P. Deep sequencing of short capped RNAs reveals novel families of noncoding RNAs. Genome Res 2022; 32:gr.276647.122. [PMID: 35961773 PMCID: PMC9528987 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276647.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, capped RNAs include long transcripts such as messenger RNAs and long noncoding RNAs, as well as shorter transcripts such as spliceosomal RNAs, small nucleolar RNAs, and enhancer RNAs. Long capped transcripts can be profiled using cap analysis gene expression (CAGE) sequencing and other methods. Here, we describe a sequencing library preparation protocol for short capped RNAs, apply it to a differentiation time course of the human cell line THP-1, and systematically compare the landscape of short capped RNAs to that of long capped RNAs. Transcription initiation peaks associated with genes in the sense direction have a strong preference to produce either long or short capped RNAs, with one out of six peaks detected in the short capped RNA libraries only. Gene-associated short capped RNAs have highly specific 3' ends, typically overlapping splice sites. Enhancers also preferentially generate either short or long capped RNAs, with 10% of enhancers observed in the short capped RNA libraries only. Enhancers producing either short or long capped RNAs show enrichment for GWAS-associated disease SNPs. We conclude that deep sequencing of short capped RNAs reveals new families of noncoding RNAs and elucidates the diversity of transcripts generated at known and novel promoters and enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel de Hoon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Alessandro Bonetti
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Charles Plessy
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yoshinari Ando
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Chung-Chau Hon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yuri Ishizu
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Division of Genomic Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Itoh
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Sachi Kato
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Dongyan Lin
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1, Canada
- Mila, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3H1, Canada
| | - Sho Maekawa
- RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC), Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mitsuyoshi Murata
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hiromi Nishiyori
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Jay W Shin
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138632, Singapore
| | - Jens Stolte
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Division of Genomic Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Ana Maria Suzuki
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michihira Tagami
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hazuki Takahashi
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Supat Thongjuea
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Division of Genomic Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Alistair R R Forrest
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Yoshihide Hayashizaki
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC), Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Juha Kere
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14157, Sweden
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki 00290, Finland
| | - Piero Carninci
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan 20157, Italy
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18
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Hou TY, Kraus WL. Analysis of estrogen-regulated enhancer RNAs identifies a functional motif required for enhancer assembly and gene expression. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110944. [PMID: 35705040 PMCID: PMC9246336 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand the functions of non-coding enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), we annotated the estrogen-regulated eRNA transcriptome in estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive breast cancer cells using PRO-cap and RNA sequencing. We then cloned a subset of the eRNAs identified, fused them to single guide RNAs, and targeted them to their ERα enhancers of origin using CRISPR/dCas9. Some of the eRNAs tested modulated the expression of cognate, but not heterologous, target genes after estrogen treatment by increasing ERα recruitment and stimulating p300-catalyzed H3K27 acetylation at the enhancer. We identified a ∼40 nucleotide functional eRNA regulatory motif (FERM) present in many eRNAs that was necessary and sufficient to modulate gene expression, but not the specificity of activation, after estrogen treatment. The FERM interacted with BCAS2, an RNA-binding protein amplified in breast cancers. The ectopic expression of a targeted eRNA controlling the expression of an oncogene resulted in increased cell proliferation, demonstrating the regulatory potential of eRNAs in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Y Hou
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - W Lee Kraus
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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19
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Himanen SV, Puustinen MC, Da Silva AJ, Vihervaara A, Sistonen L. HSFs drive transcription of distinct genes and enhancers during oxidative stress and heat shock. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6102-6115. [PMID: 35687139 PMCID: PMC9226494 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reprogramming of transcription is critical for the survival under cellular stress. Heat shock has provided an excellent model to investigate nascent transcription in stressed cells, but the molecular mechanisms orchestrating RNA synthesis during other types of stress are unknown. We utilized PRO-seq and ChIP-seq to study how Heat Shock Factors, HSF1 and HSF2, coordinate transcription at genes and enhancers upon oxidative stress and heat shock. We show that pause-release of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is a universal mechanism regulating gene transcription in stressed cells, while enhancers are activated at the level of Pol II recruitment. Moreover, besides functioning as conventional promoter-binding transcription factors, HSF1 and HSF2 bind to stress-induced enhancers to trigger Pol II pause-release from poised gene promoters. Importantly, HSFs act at distinct genes and enhancers in a stress type-specific manner. HSF1 binds to many chaperone genes upon oxidative and heat stress but activates them only in heat-shocked cells. Under oxidative stress, HSF1 localizes to a unique set of promoters and enhancers to trans-activate oxidative stress-specific genes. Taken together, we show that HSFs function as multi-stress-responsive factors that activate distinct genes and enhancers when encountering changes in temperature and redox state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samu V Himanen
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Mikael C Puustinen
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Alejandro J Da Silva
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Anniina Vihervaara
- Department of Gene Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lea Sistonen
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
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20
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Interplay between regulatory elements and chromatin topology in cellular lineage determination. Trends Genet 2022; 38:1048-1061. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Enhancer RNA AL928768.3 from the IGH Locus Regulates MYC Expression and Controls the Proliferation and Chemoresistance of Burkitt Lymphoma Cells with IGH/MYC Translocation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094624. [PMID: 35563017 PMCID: PMC9103539 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal rearrangements leading to the relocation of proto-oncogenes into transcription-active regions are found in various types of tumors. In particular, the transfer of proto-oncogenes to the locus of heavy chains of immunoglobulins (IGH) is frequently observed in B-lymphomas. The increased expression of the MYC proto-oncogene due to IGH/MYC translocation is detected in approximately 85% of Burkitt lymphoma cases. The regulatory mechanisms affecting the oncogenes upon translocation include non-coding enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). We conducted a search for the eRNAs that may affect MYC transcription in the case of IGH/MYC translocation in Burkitt lymphoma, looking for potentially oncogenic eRNAs located at the IGH locus and predominantly expressed in B cells. Overexpression and knockdown of our primary candidate eRNA AL928768.3 led to the corresponding changes in the expression of MYC proto-oncogene in Burkitt lymphoma cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that AL928768.3 knockdown decreased lymphoma cell proliferation and resistance to chemotherapy. Significant effects were observed only in cell lines bearing IGH/MYC abnormality but not in B-cell lines without this translocation nor primary B-cells. Our results indicate that AL928768.3 plays an important role in the development of Burkitt’s lymphoma and suggest it and similar, yet undiscovered eRNAs as potential tissue-specific targets for cancer treatment.
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22
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Bernstein C. DNA Methylation and Establishing Memory. Epigenet Insights 2022; 15:25168657211072499. [PMID: 35098021 PMCID: PMC8793415 DOI: 10.1177/25168657211072499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A single event can cause a life-long memory. Memories physically reside in neurons, and changes in neuronal gene expression are considered to be central to memory. Early models proposed that specific DNA methylations of cytosines in neuronal DNA encode memories in a stable biochemical form. This review describes recent research that elucidates the molecular mechanisms used by the mammalian brain to form DNA methylcytosine encoded memories. For example, neuron activation initiates cytosine demethylation by stimulating DNA topoisomerase II beta (TOP2B) protein to make a temporary DNA double-strand break (repaired within about 2 hours) at a promoter of an immediate early gene, EGR1, allowing expression of this gene. The EGR1 proteins then recruit methylcytosine dioxygenase TET1 proteins to initiate demethylation at several hundred genes, facilitating expression of those genes. Initiation of demethylation of cytosine also occurs when OGG1 localizes at oxidized guanine in a methylated CpG site and recruits TET1 for initiation of demethylation at that site. DNMT3A2 is another immediate early gene upregulated by synaptic activity. DNMT3A2 protein catalyzes de novo DNA methylations. These several mechanisms convert external experiences into DNA methylations and initiated demethylations of neuronal DNA cytosines, causing changes in gene expression that are the basis of long-term memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Bernstein
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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23
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Jin W, Jiang G, Yang Y, Yang J, Yang W, Wang D, Niu X, Zhong R, Zhang Z, Gong J. Animal-eRNAdb: a comprehensive animal enhancer RNA database. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D46-D53. [PMID: 34551433 PMCID: PMC8728245 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs transcribed from enhancers. As the markers of active enhancers, eRNAs play important roles in gene regulation and are associated with various complex traits and characteristics. With increasing attention to eRNAs, numerous eRNAs have been identified in different human tissues. However, the expression landscape, regulatory network and potential functions of eRNAs in animals have not been fully elucidated. Here, we systematically characterized 185 177 eRNAs from 5085 samples across 10 species by mapping the RNA sequencing data to the regions of known enhancers. To explore their potential functions based on evolutionary conservation, we investigated the sequence similarity of eRNAs among multiple species. In addition, we identified the possible associations between eRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) or nearby genes to decipher their possible regulators and target genes, as well as characterized trait-related eRNAs to explore their potential functions in biological processes. Based on these findings, we further developed Animal-eRNAdb (http://gong_lab.hzau.edu.cn/Animal-eRNAdb/), a user-friendly database for data searching, browsing and downloading. With the comprehensive characterization of eRNAs in various tissues of different species, Animal-eRNAdb may greatly facilitate the exploration of functions and mechanisms of eRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Jin
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Guanghui Jiang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Yanbo Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Jianye Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Wenqian Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Dongyang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohui Niu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Rong Zhong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, P.R. China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Jing Gong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China.,College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
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24
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Hou TY, Kraus WL. Come one, come all? Re-evaluating RNA polymerase II pre-initiation complex assembly using single-molecule microscopy. Mol Cell 2021; 81:3443-3445. [PMID: 34478651 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Complementary papers by Nguyen et al. (2021) and Baek et al. (2021) track the assembly of the pre-initiation complexes at gene promoters using single-molecule microscopy, revealing dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of transcription initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Y Hou
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - W Lee Kraus
- Laboratory of Signaling and Gene Regulation, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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25
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Cruz-Ruiz S, Urióstegui-Arcos M, Zurita M. The transcriptional stress response and its implications in cancer treatment. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188620. [PMID: 34454982 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells require high levels of transcription to survive and maintain their cancerous phenotype. For several years, global transcription inhibitors have been used in the treatment of cancer. However, recent advances in understanding the functioning of the basal transcription machinery and the discovery of new drugs that affect the components of this machinery have generated a new boom in the use of this type of drugs to treat cancer. Inhibiting transcription at the global level in the cell generates a stress situation in which the cancer cell responds by overexpressing hundreds of genes in response to this transcriptional stress. Many of these over-transcribed genes encode factors that may be involved in the selection of cells resistant to the treatment and with a greater degree of malignancy. In this study, we reviewed various examples of substances that inhibit global transcription, as well as their targets, that have a high potential to be used against cancer. We also analysed what kinds of genes are overexpressed in the response to transcriptional stress by different substances and finally we discuss what types of studies are necessary to understand this type of stress response to have more tools to fight cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Cruz-Ruiz
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, Mor., Mexico
| | - Maritere Urióstegui-Arcos
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, Mor., Mexico
| | - Mario Zurita
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, Mor., Mexico.
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26
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Abstract
The world of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has opened up massive new prospects in understanding the regulation of gene expression. Not only are there seemingly almost infinite numbers of lncRNAs in the mammalian cell, but they have highly diverse mechanisms of action. In the nucleus, some are chromatin-associated, transcribed from transcriptional enhancers (eRNAs) and/or direct changes in the epigenetic landscape with profound effects on gene expression. The pituitary gonadotrope is responsible for activation of reproduction through production and secretion of appropriate levels of the gonadotropic hormones. As such, it exemplifies a cell whose function is defined through changes in developmental and temporal patterns of gene expression, including those that are hormonally induced. Roles for diverse distal regulatory elements and eRNAs in gonadotrope biology have only just begun to emerge. Here, we will present an overview of the different kinds of lncRNAs that alter gene expression, and what is known about their roles in regulating some of the key gonadotrope genes. We will also review various screens that have detected differentially expressed pituitary lncRNAs associated with changes in reproductive state and those whose expression is found to play a role in gonadotrope-derived nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. We hope to shed light on this exciting new field, emphasize the open questions, and encourage research to illuminate the roles of lncRNAs in various endocrine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Refael
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Philippa Melamed
- Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Correspondence: Philippa Melamed, PhD, Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
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27
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Global patterns of enhancer activity during sea urchin embryogenesis assessed by eRNA profiling. Genome Res 2021; 31:1680-1692. [PMID: 34330790 PMCID: PMC8415375 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275684.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We used capped analysis of gene expression with sequencing (CAGE-seq) to profile eRNA expression and enhancer activity during embryogenesis of a model echinoderm: the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. We identified more than 18,000 enhancers that were active in mature oocytes and developing embryos and documented a burst of enhancer activation during cleavage and early blastula stages. We found that a large fraction (73.8%) of all enhancers active during the first 48 h of embryogenesis were hyperaccessible no later than the 128-cell stage and possibly even earlier. Most enhancers were located near gene bodies, and temporal patterns of eRNA expression tended to parallel those of nearby genes. Furthermore, enhancers near lineage-specific genes contained signatures of inputs from developmental gene regulatory networks deployed in those lineages. A large fraction (60%) of sea urchin enhancers previously shown to be active in transgenic reporter assays was associated with eRNA expression. Moreover, a large fraction (50%) of a representative subset of enhancers identified by eRNA profiling drove tissue-specific gene expression in isolation when tested by reporter assays. Our findings provide an atlas of developmental enhancers in a model sea urchin and support the utility of eRNA profiling as a tool for enhancer discovery and regulatory biology. The data generated in this study are available at Echinobase, the public database of information related to echinoderm genomics.
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28
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Thomas AL, Marsman J, Antony J, Schierding W, O’Sullivan JM, Horsfield JA. Transcriptional Regulation of RUNX1: An Informatics Analysis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1175. [PMID: 34440349 PMCID: PMC8395016 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The RUNX1/AML1 gene encodes a developmental transcription factor that is an important regulator of haematopoiesis in vertebrates. Genetic disruptions to the RUNX1 gene are frequently associated with acute myeloid leukaemia. Gene regulatory elements (REs), such as enhancers located in non-coding DNA, are likely to be important for Runx1 transcription. Non-coding elements that modulate Runx1 expression have been investigated over several decades, but how and when these REs function remains poorly understood. Here we used bioinformatic methods and functional data to characterise the regulatory landscape of vertebrate Runx1. We identified REs that are conserved between human and mouse, many of which produce enhancer RNAs in diverse tissues. Genome-wide association studies detected single nucleotide polymorphisms in REs, some of which correlate with gene expression quantitative trait loci in tissues in which the RE is active. Our analyses also suggest that REs can be variant in haematological malignancies. In summary, our analysis identifies features of the RUNX1 regulatory landscape that are likely to be important for the regulation of this gene in normal and malignant haematopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarni L. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (A.L.T.); (J.A.)
| | - Judith Marsman
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Jisha Antony
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (A.L.T.); (J.A.)
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
| | - William Schierding
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
| | - Justin M. O’Sullivan
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Julia A. Horsfield
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (A.L.T.); (J.A.)
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- Genetics Otago Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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29
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Adhikary S, Roy S, Chacon J, Gadad SS, Das C. Implications of Enhancer Transcription and eRNAs in Cancer. Cancer Res 2021; 81:4174-4182. [PMID: 34016622 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-4010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite extensive progress in developing anticancer therapies, therapy resistance remains a major challenge that promotes disease relapse. The changes that lead to therapy resistance can be intrinsically present or may be initiated during treatment. Genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity in tumors make it more challenging to deal with therapy resistance. Recent advances in genome-wide analyses have revealed that the deregulation of distal gene regulatory elements, such as enhancers, appears in several pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. Beyond the conventional function of enhancers in recruiting transcription factors to gene promoters, enhancer elements are also transcribed into noncoding RNAs known as enhancer RNAs (eRNA). Accumulating evidence suggests that uncontrolled enhancer activity with aberrant eRNA expression promotes oncogenesis. Interestingly, tissue-specific, transcribed eRNAs from active enhancers can serve as potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers in several cancer types. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of enhancer transcription and eRNAs as well as their potential roles in cancer and drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santanu Adhikary
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, India.,Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Siddhartha Roy
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Jessica Chacon
- Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Shrikanth S Gadad
- Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas. .,Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas.,Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Chandrima Das
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, India. .,Homi Bhaba National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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30
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Mantsoki A, Parussel K, Joshi A. Identification and Characterisation of Putative Enhancer Elements in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Bioinform Biol Insights 2021; 15:1177932220974623. [PMID: 33623376 PMCID: PMC7876754 DOI: 10.1177/1177932220974623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer elements control mammalian transcription largely in a cell-type-specific
manner. The genome-wide identification of enhancer elements and their activity
status in a cellular context is therefore fundamental to understanding cell
identity and function. We determined enhancer activity in mouse embryonic stem
(ES) cells using chromatin modifications and characterised their global
properties. Specifically, we first grouped enhancers into 5 groups using
multiple H3K4me1, H3K27ac, and H3K27me3 modification data sets. Active enhancers
(simultaneous presence of H3K4me1 and H3K27ac) were enriched for binding of
pluripotency factors and were found near pluripotency-related genes. Although
both H3K4me1-only and active enhancers were enriched for super-enhancers and a
TATA box like motif, active enhancers were preferentially bound by RNA polII
(s2) and were enriched for bidirectional transcription, while H3K4me1-only
enhancers were enriched for RNA polII (8WG16) suggesting they were likely
poised. Bivalent enhancers (simultaneous presence of H3K4me1 and H3K27me3) were
preferentially in the vicinity of bivalent genes. They were enriched for binding
of components of polycomb complex as well as Tcf3 and Oct4. Moreover, a
‘CTTTCTC’ de-novo motif was enriched at bivalent enhancers, previously
identified at bivalent promoters in ES cells. Taken together, 3 histone
modifications successfully demarcated active, bivalent, and poised enhancers
with distinct sequence and binding features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mantsoki
- Division of Developmental Biology, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Karla Parussel
- Division of Developmental Biology, The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Anagha Joshi
- Computational Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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